The Payette National Forest contains some of Idaho most beautiful and diverse country. Located north of Boise in beautiful west-central Idaho, the 2.3 million acre forest extends 100 miles west to east, from Hells Canyon to the Middle Fork of the Salmon River in the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness. The forest stretches 70 miles between the Main Salmon River to the north and the Weiser River to the south. There are five Ranger Districts with approximately 350 permanent employees and many seasonal employees during the summer season.
Communities near the Payette National Forest include McCall, Lake Fork, Donnelly, Cascade, New Meadows, Council, Cambridge, and Weiser.